


Colors of a Bursting Sun

by Sethrine



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Fluff, Language, Soulmates, Sweetness, black and white, descriptive, imagine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-10
Updated: 2016-05-10
Packaged: 2018-06-07 16:09:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6812641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sethrine/pseuds/Sethrine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He was the sun, a bursting of color that appeared without warning in your literal world of greyscale, bringing color to your eyes for the first time.</p>
<p>You never expected to find him, not when you were a hermit to your own city, refusing to venture out in the world, but here you were, and so was he.</p>
<p>Your soulmate.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Colors of a Bursting Sun

**Author's Note:**

> You guys have no idea how immensely proud i am of this work. It's the longest thing I've ever written, as far as one-shots go, and I'm just so over-the-moon with hoe i presented it.
> 
> This is based on the imagine (of which i can't remember word for word for the life of me): Imagine you only saw the world in black and white, until you find your soulmate.
> 
> If anyone knows who the original imagine belongs to, let me know so I can give credit where credit is due. This was so much fun to write, so i hope you guys enjoy it!
> 
> Also, special thanks to **NightIris,** who is an absolute doll who tolerates my inner musings so very well.

The sky was bright and cloudless, the wide expanse above a clear, powdery grey with an brighter point of white where the sun lazily moved across it. It was a warm Friday afternoon, and spring was in full bloom, with many different shaded hues of white, grey, and charcoal colored blossoms dotting the city, both being sold in stands and blooming on trees and bushes and dark, healthy patches of grass. 

Of course, that was your view, a view you and many others had seen and shared all your life. The world was a wash of black and white and grey, not in a dismal sense, as it most likely sounded. There were simply no other colors to process, no way for the eyes to pick up pigments of blues and reds and yellows that made up so many colors the world held. 

Well, maybe that wasn’t entirely true. 

You looked down at your half-eaten lunch, a toasted, tuna-filled panini your close friend and neighbor insisted on buying, counting the light scorch marks left behind from the grill. They were a darker grey than the rest of the bread, as was the lettuce sticking out from the top. 

“Told ya it was good!” your friend, Undyne, bellowed from beside you, smiling big while nudging you just on the side of too rough with her elbow. 

“It really is,” you agreed with your own smile, choosing to ignore the slight pang coming from your arm from her jab and instead focusing on finishing the other half of your sandwich. 

Undyne’s color to you was that of a dark charcoal, a contrast to your own powdery grey-white skin. Her eyes were lighter, and her sharp teeth were a nearly perfect white against the darkness of her own complexion. The patches of scales along her arms were slightly deeper in hue, yet sometimes when the light touched them, they created a burst of different tints and shadows, only for a brief moment. 

You’d asked one time, a bit embarrassed, if she knew what color her complexion was, and she’d answered with a wide, proud grin that she was blue, and that her girlfriend was yellow, and there was a dusty smudge of red on your face, probably because of the sun warming your skin. 

It was the first time you had known someone so closely who had found their soulmate, resulting in her ability to see color. Sure, you’d heard about such things, had read many a romance novel and listened in on a few colleagues from the past who had found their soulmate, but never had you had such a close friendship to someone who could answer your questions about color. 

You remember clearly one afternoon how you bombarded both Undyne and her sweet, timid girlfriend, Alphys, with questions about the color of the sky, the grass, the buildings in the city, about your clothes, your hair, your eyes, and everything else you could think of. You’d been so fascinated and excited to know what certain things were colored, to know not everything you saw was a different shade of grey, that you hadn’t accounted for how flustered you were making the couple. And when you asked them to describe what certain colors were like, well…it was apparently something that couldn’t be explained, only experienced. 

You understood. Well, as much as someone who hadn’t experienced the bonding of a soulmate could, anyways. 

In truth, you didn’t expect to find your soulmate, and you were okay with that. You had come to terms with the thought many years ago. The small city you lived in had always been home, and with the unlikelihood of you moving as well as your mildly introverted ways, it just didn’t seem possible you would ever find him or her. You weren’t actively seeking them, you didn’t go out of your way just to stare at every person you passed down the street to see if there was any reaction, any difference in your sight. 

You were taking one day at a time, enjoying what you had at your disposal; good friends, a decent job, and a sassy pet cat that enjoyed curling up on your head for a nap as you slept during the night. Life was good. Well, good enough. 

Wasn’t it? 

“Hey, knock it off,” Undyne called to you, giving a displeased sort of grimace. 

“I’m…sorry?” 

“You’re making that weird face again, the one where you’re thinking too hard about something. So, knock it off, already! It’s a nice day, too nice for you to be doing any hard thinking, you got it?” 

You looked up at the charcoal -no, blue- scaled Monster and smiled. She was a rough character, that went without saying, but she had an unbelievably kind heart that showed brilliantly when dealing with friends. You were thankful for her perceptiveness. 

“You’re right,” you sighed, finishing off the last bite of your sandwich, dusting the crumbs from your fingers. “It’s too nice of a day to be thinking about anything too hard. How about we finish off our break with a Nice Cream? My treat.” 

Undyne gave a toothy grin. 

“Sounds good, dork.” 

 

Saturday, you spent most of the early morning and afternoon running around town. There were so many errands you’d missed out on due to your longer hours at work, such as paying bills, grocery shopping, picking up a dress for that formal the company was having next week…. The list seemed endless. 

By late afternoon, you had your fridge and pantry sufficiently stocked, your cat was happy with the new toy you’d gotten her as an apology for your continued absence, and your dress, currently being altered, would be ready to pick up just in time for when you needed it. 

Normally, after such a long day, you enjoyed a night on the couch watching your favorite TV shows with your preferred order of Chinese takeout in-hand. It’s what you had planned on doing, really, but you’d promised Sans a few days ago that you’d meet up with him at that bar place he frequented. Ah…New Grillby’s, was it? You’d never been, not too keen on the whole bar scene. Yet Sans had assured you it was possibly the “hottest” place around, very welcoming to all Monsters and Humans who were looking for good drinks, good food, and good company. 

There was a pun in that, you were certain, but you couldn’t figure out what it was. 

Instead of putting on your comfy pajamas, you changed into a nicer outfit, some dark jeans and a blouse you were told was a forest green color, with buttons that sparkled when the light hit them. A toss of your hair into a high ponytail and a quick touch-up to your everyday makeup, and you were out the door by eight. 

The drive wasn’t that far, maybe ten minutes deeper into the city, and when you arrived, the place was nearly packed on both sides of the bar where parking was available. You, luckily, found a place close enough to the entrance. Locking your car, you made your way up to the front, giving the place a once-over as you neared the entrance. 

You remember the building being some sort of fancy restaurant at one point when you were younger. It closed down nearly six years ago, and the establishment hadn’t been used until Monsters had finally gained the ability to own businesses four years after. The place had a sort of rustic look, with the windows frosted and the lighting coming from within intense and inviting. A large sign lit up the front, the lights glowing much more prominently than normal (neon-based lighting, if you recalled correctly) and displaying the name ‘New Grillby’s’. 

“nice place, huh?” 

Startled, you jumped back, hand over your heart, and glared at the skeleton standing beside you, though the look held no heat. 

“Sans, geez! We talked about this, my poor-“ 

“-poor heart can’t take it, i got it, i got it. can’t blame a fella for tryin’ to have a little fun.” 

You huffed at your permanently grinning friend, smiling even as you crossed your arms over your chest. 

“I suppose not, but try not to scare me out of my skin, next time.” 

Sans gave a chuckle as he reached for the handle of the door, pulling it open. Instantly, you were draped in comforting warmth that billowed out of the building in waves. It called to you invitingly, this warmth, and had you stepping through the threshold not but a moment later. 

The warmth was all-encompassing once the door was shut, though not suffocating. It was a gentle heat, almost familiar and beckoning you closer. To what, you weren’t sure, but the bar had a few empty seats, as the tables were very nearly filled with other patrons of both Human and Monster nature, and it looked like a good place to start. The lighting there was a bit brighter than the rest of the place, and the bar itself looked like a lovely shade of wood, deep in greyscale and…swirled with…wait, what was that? 

Before you could get any closer and take a better look at the odd…shade, or maybe hue, your phone started vibrating in your back pocket, the tone some shrill-sounding music with words sung in a different language, the opening to an anime Alphys had gotten you to watch a couple months back. That was…why was Alphys calling you at such a time? 

“Hello?” you answered, giving Sans an apologetic look and holding up a finger. He understood and waited patiently beside you. 

_“(Y/N)? O-oh, good, I was w-worried I wouldn’t get you-“_

_“Come back here, punk! You wanna throw things? I can throw things, too!”_

“Is that…is that Undyne in the background?” you questioned, quickly becoming concerned at the shouting that faded in and out of the call. 

_“Y-yes, and she’s…no, honey, d-don’t! I-it’s not worth it! We can just leave!”_

_“Not until they apologize for hurting you! Or until I hurt them!”_

_“Sweetie, please, j-just come back!”_

“Alphys, what in the world is going on? Are you okay?” 

_“Could you…c-could you meet us at the park? A-and hurry, if you can. Wait, Undyne, d-don’t-!”_

_“KYYAAAA!”_

You had to remove the phone from your ear at Undyne’s cry, wincing at the high volume of her voice. Even Sans looked a bit bewildered, staring at your phone in mild concern. When the shouting stopped abruptly, you pulled the phone back to your ear. 

“Alphys, Alphys, are you still there? Hello? Damnit!” 

You looked at the screen to see the call had ended, a seed of worry burrowing its way into the pit of your stomach. You looked down at Sans, who seemed to understand. 

“Sans….” 

“where to?” he asked, firmly taking hold of your wrist. 

“Asher Park,” you answered, taking hold of his shoulder with your free hand. Before you had time to blink, a prickling, almost electrifying darkness surrounded you for the briefest of moments, the feeling always taking your breath away. Then you were looking out at a small pond surrounded by trees, the source of water illuminated brilliantly by strategically placed lights throughout the park. 

Such a lovely view was suddenly being interrupted by terrified and angry shouting. 

“Get away from us, you crazy fish freak!” 

“Stay still, so I can squash you punks with this boulder!” 

You made a mad dash to where the source of the noise was coming from, running down a slight slope toward the edge of the water. There, you found a maniacally grinning Undyne with a large boulder from the other side of the lake hefted over her shoulder, having cornered two young men who looked every bit the scared victims. You knew better. 

“Undyne, stop! What are you doing?” 

Undyne turned to look at you, smile faltering upon realizing you were present. Her gaze then shifted back to the two hooligans, visible eye sharp and scowl forming. 

“These two idiots decided throwing rocks at my girl would be fun. Just returning the favor and showing them how much _fun_ it really is!” 

“Undyne, that is _not_ a rock.” 

“It’s close enough! These assholes hurt my Alphys, and I’m not gonna let them go until they apologize to her!” 

“Hey, lady, look, we don’t know what this…this Monster is talking about,” one of the young men spoke to you, eyes pleading with you to get them out of the situation. 

“wanna tell that to this poor gal you attacked?” Sans spoke up from beside you, nearly making you jump. Alphys moved from behind the skeleton, worried eyes on Undyne who was doing her best to avoid such a look. From your vantage point, you could see a dark, splotchy patch just on the side of the scientist’s head, the area much too dark to be her lighter colored skin. 

“Undyne, please, i-it’s not worth it. I’m okay, really.” 

“Not until they apologize,” Undyne ground out, the force behind her words startling the troublemakers. 

“i’d, uh, do as the lady says,” Sans followed up, left eye flashing and dimming brightly for a brief moment before his gaze settled. The two men then looked to you, as if you were their last hope of getting out of this alive. You raised your brow at them. 

“Well?” 

They looked to each other for a long while before one of them blurted out, “Fuck, okay, we’re sorry, alright?! Now let us go!” 

Undyne turned her one bright eye to the other man. “You, too! Apologize!” 

“Yeah, shit, okay! I’m sorry! We’re sorry!” 

“Good,” Undyne muttered before squatting low. With a mighty roar, she pushed off, using her momentum to throw the boulder toward the men, who were screaming out in fear of their deaths. The giant rock landed nearly thirty feet behind them in the pond, the large splash of water reaching far enough to soak their backs and part of Undyne’s front. They were trembling as she laughed. 

“Now get out of here, before I decide to throw _you in the water, next.”_

In a flash, the two men were scrambling their way from the bank of the pond, nearly pushing you aside in their haste to escape. When you could no longer see them, Undyne marched up to Alphys and wrapped her up in her arms. 

“I-I’m fine, sweetie,” Alphys assured her girlfriend with gentle pats to the top of her head, Undyne giving a slight huff, though accepting the calming gesture. It was a sweet scene, almost picturesque, even, if the events from before hadn’t soured the atmosphere around them. 

“I know, Alph. I just…I HATE idiots like that. They think they can get away with whatever they want, just because they’re Human. Uh, no offense, (Y/N).” 

“No, you’re right,” you agreed, “too many people think they can get away with things because they think they’re superior in some way, and it’s stupid and unfair to you and anyone else subjected to it.” 

You turned your gaze to Alphys and gave a sweet smile. 

“I’m glad you called me when you did. I know Undyne wouldn’t have hurt them outright, but it was best to get everything under control before things got out of hand.” 

“O-of course, thank you,” Alphys said gratefully, wincing as Undyne prodded at what you guessed was the bit of bruising where the rock had hit her, the splotchy patch of darkness you’d noticed before. You couldn’t help but cringe with her. 

“Are you going to be okay?” 

“Y-yes, it’s nothing serious, don’t worry. A bit of f-food and rest, and I’ll be back to normal in no time.” 

“That’s my girl,” Undyne whooped, kissing the injury gently before planting a firmer smooch on Alphy’s nose, of which had the scientist blushing and squeaking in both delight and protest. 

You watched the two interact for a moment, noticing how they moved in sync with each other without even noticing. Undyne’s gaze was adoring as Alphys explained what her favorite part of the evening of their date had been -of _course_ it was a date, just look at the cute dress the scientist was wearing-, despite how it had ended. Somehow, their hands had interlocked without much notice, and even when Alphys got a bit too excited thinking about the movie they had seen several hour previous and threw her hands up, Undyne didn’t let go, instead moving with her so she could let out her zealous thoughts. 

“hey,” Sans spoke up from your side, gaining your attention. You almost forgot the punny skeleton was there. 

“Hey,” you repeated with a small smile, noticing the twin points of light in his eye sockets brightening just a bit and the tension in his shoulders relaxing. 

“how’s about we walk the lovely couple home? Make sure their trip back doesn’t get too _rocky._ ” 

“Wow, okay, that was bad, even for you.” 

Sans shrugged, his permanent grin seeming to widen just a bit. 

“can’t win ‘em all. gotta have a few _hit ‘n misses._ ” 

At that, you gave a justifiable snort of laughter before setting your plan into action. You and Sans walked with Undyne and Alphys back to the apartment complex you shared. It was a peaceful stroll, luckily, with no other troublemakers or flying rocks in sight. 

Since you were already there, you decided to go ahead and stay in for the rest of the evening, as it was already close to ten. It wasn’t very late, considering you were off the whole weekend, but after the events of the evening, you didn’t think you could handle much more excitement. 

“I’m sorry, Sans. I know you wanted to show me the bar.” 

“eh, don’t worry ‘bout it, kid. there’s always next weekend. want me to bring your car back?” 

“No, I can get it tomorrow. Unless that’s gonna be a problem?” 

“nah, I’ll talk to grillbz, make sure he knows what’s up.” 

“Thank you, Sans.” 

“no problem. don’t even mention it.” 

You said your goodbyes before closing and locking your door, spending the rest of your evening watching some crappy action movies with your cat curled up beside you. 

 

Sunday was meant just for you, a day to relax and do what you enjoyed most. Today’s hobby in particular was reading, as you were behind on a collection of books that had been greenlit for a series of movies about a year or so back. The first movie would be out next month, and your best friend, Iris, was harping on you to hurry up and finish the first book so you could see the movie together. 

Speaking of Iris…. 

She had decided to join you in the park, both of you under a nice, shady oak tree with twin books in-hand. It was a bit cooler than it had been the rest of the weekend, enough for the both of you to wear light jackets to block the chill, but the sky was that same bright, powdery grey color that you associated with a good day, with puffs of off-white and slightly darker grey littering it. A cool, partially cloudy day, perfect for curling up with a good book and enjoying the quiet company of a friend. 

You both sat in comfortable, familiar silence for at least a good hour, commenting lightly on some of the choices or situations certain characters made or were in. 

“Hey, have you gotten to chapter twelve yet?” Iris asked after another long bout of silence. 

“Twelve? I’ve barely started chapter seven! How in the world did you get that far ahead of me already?” 

“I’m sorry! You know how fast I tend to read. I just can’t help it; it’s just so good! You’re gonna love Eric.” 

“Eric is an asshole,” you commented almost dryly while continuing your reading, earning a snort of amusement from your best friend. 

“Yeah, you’re gonna love Eric.” 

You did this off and on for another hour, commenting on sections and being riled up by tiny tidbits Iris decided to feed you while you read. Just like she said, you were quickly beginning to love Eric’s character. You liked how, even in the beginning, certain aspects were being highlighted, and you hadn’t realized just how much he’d been through to warrant his attitude. He wasn’t the protagonist, but his flaws made him such a relatable character that it was hard not to love him. 

Man, the author sure knew how to draw in a reader. 

Three more chapters in and one big plot twist later, Iris began nudging you with her shoulder, your attention turning to her grinning face. 

“Did you realize it’s already one, and we haven’t eaten lunch yet?” 

At the mere mention of lunch, your stomach gave a low growl. You laughed at your stomach’s protests while marking your place in your book. 

“Guess I do, now.” 

She stood, stretching her arms into the air before offering a hand, of which you gratefully took. 

“C’mon, I think I saw that taco truck parked near the entrance. God, they have the best fucking tacos, I swear.” 

You followed Iris nearly halfway toward the entrance, teasing her about the cute Latino siblings who worked the taco truck, when you realized you were missing something. You stopped real quick, taking a mental note of what all you had with you, before groaning aloud. Iris stopped and turned to you almost knowingly. 

“Forget something?” 

“Yeah, I left my book! Guess I got so excited about food that I just…didn’t think to grab it.” 

“Wanna go back and get it?” 

“Yeah, I better. Don’t want someone stealing it, not after getting over halfway through it!” 

“It’s fine,” Iris said with a wave of her hand, “you go on ahead back, and I’ll get your lunch. The usual, right? Drown it in sour cream?” 

“You’re an absolute dear,” you praised with a smile, turning back on the trail to your favorite oak tree as Iris continued her way to the food vendor. 

Upon arriving back at the tree, your smile diminished quickly at seeing only the slight shadowy imprints in the short grass where you and Iris had sat with no trace of your book in sight. You hadn’t been gone that long, and not many people had been passing by that particular area, as many were out by the pond or on the other side at the playground. Maybe you’d somehow shuffled it into the bushes on the left where you’d been sitting, or maybe someone accidentally kicked it behind the tree? 

You looked behind the tree first, not really surprised to find nothing there. You then got down on your hands and knees for a better vantage point, shuffling a few branches out of your way, but still finding nothing. You sat back on your knees, giving a sigh of regret at having lost your novel. It wasn’t too terribly expensive, but you’d have to wait a whole week until payday just to get a new copy. Iris would surely let you borrow hers, but then that took the fun out…of…. 

What…what was that on the leaves? 

A strange swirl of…something…was moving along the tiny leaves and branches of the bush in front of you, the movement and pattern briefly reminding you of the swirling texture you’d seen against that wood at the bar. It seemed to be getting more vibrant, whatever it was, as the different shades and hues of light and dark grey morphed into something more. 

You had never seen a shade of grey like that, before. 

“Excuse me, miss?” 

You turned at the deep, crackling voice, startled to have someone behind you, and startling even more at the burst of absolute wonder literally blazing before your eyes. 

Suddenly, your world became vibrant, an ocean of shades and hues and colors you had never experienced in your lifetime until that very moment. Alphys and Undyne were right; explaining color was hard, you had to experience them to know what they were, how grass was different shades of forest and lime green, how the flowers could be pink or purple or any combination of colors in just one petal. You could see them, knew what each color was as if you’d known them all your life, but your first look at color was all because of the glorious man standing above you. 

He was the color of the sun, bright, flickering flames of yellow and dusty orange that faded and shimmied along his body in gentle, flowing waves of movement. He was a man made of fire, the heat radiating from him warm and comfortable. Familiar. Beckoning. A dark brown leather jacket that looked worn in, though well taken care of, adorned his top half, and black slacks with nice black shoes clothed him completely. Upon his face sat a pair of squared spectacles that glinted slightly in the early afternoon rays peeking through the trees. You could just barely make out his eyes behind them, a lighter, more brilliant shade of yellow, wide and looking you over as you did him. 

Never before had you seen someone like him, had such a pull of knowing and familiarity as you had with this complete stranger who had gotten your attention with only three simple words. 

His expression was hard to read, as his facial features were either hidden amongst the flames or simply not there at all, but you could feel his own amazement as if he had them. He was in awe. You wondered if you had the same expression of utter enrapture on your face. 

“Hi,” you breathed out in greeting, unable to pull your eyes away from the warm colors of his flickering skin. Was he completely made up of fire? Did he have to wear special clothes so he didn’t burn the fabric, or did he have complete control of that? Could he…could he see the colors of your skin and eyes and hair just as you could of him? So many questions ran rampant in your mind, yet you couldn’t make your tongue work to form the words. 

“Hello,” he answered, seeming just as perplexed as you felt, and the tone of his lightly crackling voice, quiet and warm, had you believing that, yes, he could see the colors, too, could feel the strange pull of familiarity and belonging between you. You never believed something like this would happen, not to you, a hermit of your hometown, refusing to adventure out into the world, but there you were, and he was there, too. 

Your soulmate. 

He shifted toward you a bit, reaching out a hand to you, palm up. Despite your previous mentally asked questions, you didn’t hesitate to place your trusting hand in his, warm fingers wrapping securely around your own as he carefully helped you to your feet. Your gaze found his again, and for the longest moment, you couldn’t make yourself look away, nor did you think you could pull away from the gentle press of licking flames against your skin. He hadn’t tried pulling his hand from yours, either, instead using his grip to pull you just a bit closer. 

After another long stretch of time that couldn’t have been longer than a few minutes, he pulled your hand between you both, gently turning your wrist until your palm was facing upward. He then used his free hand to place something upon your palm, the weight somewhat heavy and bulky. You finally tore your gaze from him, looking down to find the novel you had misplaced. 

“Oh! My book! I thought someone had stolen it. It’s what I’d get for leaving my stuff behind, but….” 

You looked back up at him, smiling softly at the Monster made of fire. 

“Thank you.” 

That seemed to please him, as a tiny shot of white sparks shot from the tips of his flames at the top of his head. You marveled at the display, noticing the smallest shift in color from yellow to a nearly white, powdery blue along his face. That was…that was interesting. Was that a blush? 

“Hey, (Y/N), they had a nice sale going on today! Buy two tacos, get two f- hey, whoa, hello there!” 

You turned abruptly to find Iris had returned with two paper bags in-hand and book tucked under her arm, a surprised grin on her face that easily reached her eyes. You were slightly embarrassed, but you couldn’t find it in yourself to move away from the man made of flames. 

Not that anyone was complaining. In fact, Iris looked downright thrilled at the display before her. 

“I see you found your book,” she commented with a pointed nod toward your hand. She then held up the two bags a bit higher to bring them to attention. 

“I got food! Didn’t expect a guest, but I got plenty, if he wants to join us? Or I could, you know, just go on and-“ 

“No, wait,” you called out, finally pulling away from your soulmate, his gentle grip on your wrist leaving you almost reluctantly as you reached out to your friend. “We can still do lunch, I just…I didn’t expect….” 

“No one expects it, lovely. It just happens, remember? Anyways, let’s get something in our tums, yeah? Hey, uh, sir? D’you like tacos?” 

You turned back to the man of flames, his gaze shifting from your dear friend to you. With a soft, sheepish smile, you moved closer again, reveling in the warmth he emitted, even moreso when he placed his hand against your upper arm where the heat seeped welcomingly through your thin jacket. Iris made some sort of noise behind you, though you chose to ignore it. 

“You can join us, if you want to? We haven’t eaten lunch yet, but if you have, I can just-“ 

“No,” he said firmly, the flames atop his head flickering more wildly as he gave your arm a small squeeze, somehow knowing what you were going to suggest. His grip lessened and his features seemed to soften as his flames returned to their gentle, hypnotic motions. 

“Eat, please. I can wait.” 

He turned his gaze to a small picnic table not too far away, pointing to let you know where he’d be. He then removed his hand from you, taking a moment longer to gaze at you, before walking to the designated area and taking a seat, back facing you as if giving you a moment of privacy. 

You turned to Iris once more, noticing for the first time how absolutely blue her eyes were. 

“Wow, Iris, your eyes!” 

“Oh my God, so I was right! You can see color, can’t you?!” 

“Yeah,” you laughed out, smile bright and almost disbelieving. “You wouldn’t believe it, how much color is all around us. It’s so beautiful, and he’s so…so vibrant. It’s like I can’t look away.” 

Iris, for whatever reason, seemed stuck on your newfound ability to see color instead of your attempt at describing the feeling, and what the implication of such an ability meant. 

“Holy shit, he’s your soulmate! And I’m messing it all up, oh my God! What am I even doing here? They say the first hours of contact are crucial, and I’m just fucking that all up for you-!” 

“Iris, calm down!” 

“Are you kidding? This is like, a big deal, and…shit, I’m still here! Here, this is yours, now go. Go!” 

Iris pushed one of the bags into your hands, then promptly turned you on your feet and began pushing you in the direction of the picnic table your other half was currently seated at. You gave weak protests, torn between wanting to continue your quiet day with her and wanting to get to know your quiet counterpart. Iris had already made up your mind for you, and with one last firm push, she was moving back down the concrete path, waving over her shoulder at you. 

“Call me when you get the chance! I expect details, later!” 

You gave a huff, followed by a chuckle, waving at your retreating friend. You then turned your attention back to the path ahead, sucking in a deep breath before moving towards the picnic table. You took a seat right in front of the Monster, placing both your book and paper bag of food before you. He looked mildly surprised, though made no sign of being displeased at your solitary presence. 

“Iris, my friend, she…something came up,” you fibbed, playing it off as best you could. “I hope you don’t mind me eating here?” 

He gave a shake of his head, prompting you to remove one of the six -goodness, Iris was all over that sale, wasn’t she?- tacos carefully wrapped inside. The tortillas were hand pressed and made fresh, the ingredients were always fresh, the vegetables crisp, and the seasoning was just perfect. 

You took a big bite from the taco, humming at the combination of flavors gliding over your tongue. You finished off one and made for your second before realizing that you were being watched. The intense gaze of the fiery man before you had you blushing, though you realized you weren’t near as uncomfortable as you probably should have been. His stare was curious, not at all judgmental. 

“Would you like one? I couldn’t possibly finish all of these. I don’t know if you’ve ever had them before, but personally, I think the Ramos twins make the best food I’ve ever had out of a truck.” 

This had the man chuckling, and when you offered your second taco to him, he gave a pleasant noise before taking the offered food. This, for some reason, delighted you. 

“I like sour cream, so it’s kind of…covered in it. It’s weird, I know, but I hope it’s okay?” 

He pulled the wrapping halfway down the tortilla, carefully cradling the ingredients within, and took a bite -so he _did_ have some features, just hidden away-, giving a hum of approval. Only then did you remove another for yourself and resume eating with a pleasant smile. 

There was a comfortable atmosphere between you both as you ate, your partner remaining silent while you gave short comments and talked about random things. When your stomach was full, you wrapped up the rest of the food securely in the paper bag and threw away the wrappings in a conveniently placed trashcan a few feet away, sitting once again with the warm feeling of eyes studying you closely. 

“You don’t talk much, do you?” you asked lightly, not condemning, only curious. 

“Only if it seems necessary,” he replied, the timbre of his voice soothing against your ears. “That…won’t be a problem, will it?” 

“No!” you nearly shouted in a rush. “I-I mean, no, of course not! I can do plenty of talking for the both of us. If…if that’s not a problem for you, that is.” 

“Of course not,” he repeated your words, his thumb gently smoothing over your knuckles in a comforting manner. When did you start holding hands? 

“That’s good. I mean, sometimes I get real talkative, so I just wanted to make sure it didn’t…oh! Oh, I never even…my name!” 

You stood up abruptly, your sudden pull away from the man of fire startling him for a brief moment. 

“I’m sorry, I never even properly introduced myself! I’m…I’m (Y/N),” you nearly stuttered, suddenly feeling nervous, “and I am so thrilled to finally meet you.” 

You watched as the fire elemental stood before you, eyes moving from your red dusted face to your outstretched hand. With deliberate ease, he reached for your hand, though instead of shaking it like you had anticipated, he maneuvered your fingers to curl along the side of his, thumb once more stroking your knuckles before bringing the back of your hand to his lips and pressing a warm, gentle kiss there. If you weren’t red before, you sure felt like you were now. 

“A pleasure, (Y/N). I am Grillby, and I am thrilled to finally have you with me.” 

Your hand tingled from the spark of warmth that had been his lips, his words setting in stone that this was real, this was happening. 

You had found your soulmate, a man with the colors of a bright, bursting sun. No longer would your world be grey, not when his light showed so brilliantly. With the way he was looking at you, you could only guess he was thinking the same thing, too.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Let me know what you think! Also, if you liked this, check out some of my other fics.
> 
> As always, see ya in the next thing I write!


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